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Rechargeable washable electric razor

I've tried all sorts and makes of electric razors during my shaving 'career' if you can call it that.

From memory, these have included Ronson, Remington, Braun and Philips, and I learned fairly early on that the fixed flat foil shapes of Ronsons and Remingtons didn't suit me, although obviously, Victor Kyam liked Remingtons 'so much he bought the company'!

I found Braun's approach of curved foils to be a big improvement, but even so, there is always this tuft of hair under my chin which seems to grow 'against the grain' as it were, which defied the cutters needing special attention, usually with one of my wife's throwaways.

Then I started using the Philips rotary system razors, and these seemed to do the trick, coming as they do from all directions at once, and this is where I've put my money ever since.

Something else I've done for ages is to buy rechargeable razors, for the simple reason that it saves messing the bathroom up whilst fitting a specific shaver socket, and so my last three electric razors have been Philips rechargeable jobs.

The problem with only buying the 'budget' or entry-level versions, i.e. the ones without fancy balm dispensers and electronics to monitor battery usage is that replacement heads then cost a disproportionate fraction of the cost of a new one, bearing in mind that the rechargeable cells don't last forever either. For example, new heads for my previous razor would have cost me £24 just to get something three years old costing £50 back on the road to facial sartorial splendour, when in fact its batteries could start failing to hold their charge during that time.

Sadly, this is the way of many things today, hence the reason for buying a new Philips PT 730 when there's not much wrong with its predecessor.

There are several ways in which the PT 730 differs from its older bigger brother.

Firstly, is uses low voltage, having an AC/DC adapter built into its mains plug, rather than a coiled mains lead feeding all the way to the razor. I assume that this is to keep down the weight of the razor, freeing it from needing a transformer/rectifier built in.

Secondly, it's washable, well the head end is anyway. Under no circumstances should it be baptised with full immersion! Another good reason for keeping it low voltage!

Thirdly the heads hinge up for cleaning rather than come off completely. Good feature? The jury's out on that one but at least you can't forget where you put the cutters down!

Fourthly, and definitely on the down side, it has no separate side-burn or moustache trimmer, so if you have some kind of face furniture, this isn't the razor for you.

USING IT

The razor is commendably quiet, and the batteries last........well, as yet untested, although I used it recently on a one week holiday without resorting to the charger.

The three heads are set as a triangle, initially with a convex curve to them, but pressure on the spot in the centre turns this concave, thus it adheres to facial contours very well. Whether that would be enough to negotiate the hairpin bend of Brucie's chin is another matter. The extra-thin foils on the rotary heads are peppered with slots and holes, the latter designed to lure longer hairs to their death, and the smaller holes for the final 'chop'.

I find that around five minutes is all it takes, although working without the safety net of a mirror takes a little longer as you find yourself turning it back on after discovering a 'bit you've missed'.

I've never regarded an electric shave as the only one of the day, and if going out in the evening I'll always top it up with another. For all other occasions, i.e. the ones with no prospect of a snog, one shave is enough. It doesn't cope well if you've decided to go native for a day, and it baulks at clearing a two-day growth without a trifle of snatching but that's to be expected if you leave shaving until hair clippers are really what's needed.

Generally, it doesn't make my face sore, and applying after-shave is no more of a shock than it is with a wet shave.

Pleased with my purchase?

Yes, at around £50, it does the job, or at least until the next time I need to buy new heads when the statistics will no doubt be stacked against it.

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Product Details

Philips PT730 PowerTouch Rotary ShaverA closer, cleaner shaveThe new Philips PowerTouch system adds power to your morning routine. Now with more minutes, full washability and proven DualPrecision shaving performance, PowerTouch ensures that you are always ready to quickly finish your morning routineThe fastest way through your morning routine40+ minutes of cordless shaving, 8 hours chargeWashable shaver with QuickRinse systemA comfortable and close end resultSuper Lift and Cut system for a comfortably close shaveDynamic contour response adjusts to face and neck curvesDualPrecision cutting shaves even the shortest stubble